


Slipping through my fingers

by saysomthngnicx



Category: The Good Wife (TV)
Genre: F/M, Lockner - Friendship, Mama Diane, McHart gets important in the later chapters, Own Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2020-02-28 15:43:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18759436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saysomthngnicx/pseuds/saysomthngnicx
Summary: Arabella Lockhart is the daughter of Diane Lockhart. We are following the events of The Good Wife Series from the eyes of a young girl and as the series progresses we watch her grow up and how the events affect her and her surroundings. [ Diane is a few years younger in this fanfiction than she probably is in canon. Don't mind that though, her age isn't relevant unless I mention it]





	1. Diane finds out she's pregnant

**Author's Note:**

> I have been planning this fanfiction out in my head for months and I finally decided to start uploading the chapters. The protagonist, Arabella, is made up in my own head so she belongs to me; the rest of the characters do not belong to me. They belong to Michelle and Robert King.

Diane couldn't believe it. Her eyes were glued to the little stick in her left hand, as she raised her right hand to cover her mouth. How was this possible? She couldn't have a child now, her career was at its top.

''Diane? Are you okay in there? You have been in there for at least 10 minutes.'' a voice sounded from outside the bathroom which made her look up from her lap. ''Yes I'll be there Will. Just a second!” she exclaimed, pushing herself up and throwing the pregnancy test into the rubbish bin.

Her eyes fixated on it for a second before she picked it up again and covered it in toilet paper before stuffing it into her trouser pockets. Hopefully, no one would see it.

Will was standing next to the door as she came out of the bathroom. He knitted his brows and looked at her confused and worried. “Is everything alright? Are you not feeling well?” he asked as he stood up. She nodded a little. “No I’m alright, I just had too much coffee this morning.” she said with a slight grin, pushing her fingers through her golden locks.

Diane knew that Will wasn't exactly believing her but she was glad that he didn’t push her any further. It gave her time to think.

They walked to the conference room together where they were supposed to meet for a briefing, grabbing their files on the way there.

Diane wasn't able to get her mind off of that damned pregnancy test. She couldn’t believe she was so stupid to forget the fact that she was, in fact, able to get pregnant. It wasn’t completely out of the world. 

Hopefully, it’s a mistake, she thought worriedly and kept on biting her inner cheek. She couldn’t raise a child. Diane knew that the father wasn't more than just fun for a few months. It was never meant to be serious and now she had to overthink that completely. God, how was she supposed to do that?

 

3 months later, Diane finally told Will. She had just gotten the big office and was putting up all of her stuff, including the photo of Hillary Clinton and her.

“Will, I gotta tell you something. Don’t freak out, please?” she said, turning around slowly and looking at him; watching him as he folded the boxes. “What? You gonna tell me that you found a new best friend?” he asked jokingly and looked up. As soon as he saw her face, he began to worry. Fear and Worry was written all over her face and it concerned him immensely. She never was one to show emotions this openly so he knew it was serious.

Diane swallowed and sat down, gripping the table edge; feeling how her nails were digging into the wood. She couldn't even force herself for a snarky reply, as she formed her next words in her head before speaking them.

“I am pregnant, Will.”

He gasped audibly and sank into the guest chair. “You are..? Omg Diane. That's fantastic! Who's the father? Do I know him?” he asked enthusiastically. She shook her head slowly. “No you don't know him and you also never will.” She said while looking down at her stomach where a small bump was starting to form and a little smile graced her lips. She couldn’t imagine that inside her was an actual human being growing.

“Why not? What’s wrong with him?” he asked confused. Diane snorted. “Everything, I guess? No, but he wasn't supposed to be around that long and he isn’t exactly in the picture anymore. I...when I told him about the pregnancy he said he had to go and a few hours later he called and said he couldn’t do this anymore and well..broke up. Haven’t talked to him ever since.’’ She bit her lip, putting one hand on the swell, stroking over it with her thumb. 

Will’s eyes went wide. He couldn’t believe it. Who in their right mind would break up with Diane Lockhart because of something like this? ‘’What a fucking idiot. If you need anything, help with anything, you can come to me alright? I’m here for you. You and the baby. I will always be.’’ he explained and took her other hand gently, a smile forming on his lips. He was her best friend and if the kid didn’t have an official father, he would damn well be that baby’s father figure. 

Diane smiled and nodded thankfully; appreciating his support and knowing he would do anything. She knew that her family wasn’t big, it as only her child, Will and her but it was enough. It was everything she needed and more.


	2. Headaches are the epitome of hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Diane are being Will and Diane and we find out what Diane struggles the most with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with a new chapter y'all. I struggled a bit with this one bc the ideas wouldn't come but here we finally go. I hope you enjoy it and if you find any grammar mistakes, they are all my fault. ^^

She had just finished a briefing when Will approached her and stood close to her while putting all his papers into his file. “You have your appointment today, don't you?” He asked quietly and as an answer, she simply nodded. “Yeah. And at the next meeting, I am going to tell everyone. They probably already suspect that something is going on.” she explained and smirked slightly as she noticed a few associates starting at her.

Will grinned as well and nudged her a little. ‘’I mean, you’re 3 months pregnant and it’s not like you’re losing weight you know. I am surprised David Lee hasn’t said anything yet.’’ he explained and grabbed a folder before she could take it. She tried to protest but he wouldn’t let her so she just huffed and snatched a smaller folder from him.

‘’Are you saying I’m fat?’’ she asked sharply, narrowing her eyes and glaring at him. For a moment, Will looked at her confused but then widened his eyes and shook his head. ‘’No! No that’s not what I was saying. Its just..you are eh..not as thin as you were before’’ he tried to explain himself but noticed he couldn’t.

He immediately dug his head, waiting for her to react but the reaction he got, was completely different to his expectation. She just shook her head and grinned. ‘’I know that I am not as thin as I was thank you very much. And no need to be scared. I still fit in my clothes so there is no need to worry.’’ she said and linked their arms together.

Will sighed a little and grinned apologetically. Diane had known that that topic was a complete trap for him which was the reason why she had enjoyed it even more. 

Together they walked back to Diane’s office. ‘’Do we wanna make a bet who asks first if I am the father?’’ Will asked and smirked at his best friend. She looked at him with wide eyes and slapped him with her folder, his hands shooting up apologetically but she couldn’t stop the laugh that was bubbling up.

``We both know it’s gonna be David Lee anyway.’’ he then reasoned with himself and sat across from her, a smirk appearing on his lips. Diane giggled, put the folder on her desk and sat down as well. She had to agree with him. David Lee rarely held back saying whatever he thought, especially when it was about colleagues or work.

But she still hoped it wouldn’t be him, she didn’t want to give Will the satisfaction of being right. Not that she didn’t like it, he just held it against her for days and that could be annoying(She wasn’t any better but she did it in a subtle way.)

She kicked off her shoes, stretched her feet and rolled her head on her shoulders from one side to the other. ‘’I’m so exhausted…’’ she mumbled and leaned her head back. It wasn’t even the fact that her body ached all the time that was the worst part, it was her constant headaches.

Diane wasn’t new to the concept of headaches, she’s had them before; caused by stress, not enough sleep, too much caffeine but these headaches were different. They weren’t necessarily worse but they still were hell.

She couldn’t hold her head up and whenever a voice rose too much, she felt like her head would explode any minute. Her doctor told her it was normal because of the changes her body went through but she still wanted them gone, even if only during the day. Headaches caused her to be less focused than she should be and she didn’t need that. 

She hadn’t realized that Will had walked up to her until his hands rested on her shoulders and began to slowly draw circles over her neck. Her head fell forward and she groaned quietly. This was good, really good.

He has done that several times in the past weeks now and she didn’t know why but it helped. The headaches still didn’t fully go away but they definitely wouldn’t be as bad as any other day where he didn’t do that. ‘’You are an angel, Will. Do you know that?’’ she said quietly and lifted her head and turned to him to find him grinning at her, letting go of her shoulders. “No Problem. Just making sure the conspiracy rises.” he said with a wink and sat down again; making Diane chuckle and turn around again. “You are unbelievable Will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Feedback are appreciated. <3  
> Also, let me know if you'd rather want the events to go chronically(meaning pregnancy first, then the child's childhood and then the events of the good wife or if you'd rather have the memories of the pregnancy and her childhood being revealed while writing. ^^)


	3. David Lee is speechless. That's a first.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David Lee is being nosy and Will is being the bestest of best friends. And a lil angsty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a little trouble with this one bc at first I just wasn't feeling it but now I got it! ^^

Since she had told the firm that she was expecting, everyone had treated her like she was made out of porcelain. Except for David Lee. She didn’t expect him to treat her any different except for the fact that he seemed to be a lot more kinder around her, in his own way. At first, she actually regretted it but Will quickly made sure that she knew, that it was necessary because doing it like that is better than having some rumor go around the firm. And he was right. She knew from David that a few associates had already started talking about her and her constant mood swings but no one had associated it with pregnancy.

``I promised not to ask anything inappropriate but I have to ask this or else I’ll never sleep.´´ David said as he walked into her office where she was seated in her office chair, with Will in one of the guest chairs.

Diane raised her eyebrow and Will looked from David to her with a knowing grin. I told you so. she could tell that that was what he was thinking. She rolled her eyes a little and turned to the other man who still stood in her door. ``Well then you better ask because I don’t want you to lose sleep over this.´´ Diane said and gestured to the empty chair.

The other partner nodded and sat down, glancing to the second name partner. ``Did you and Will had sex? Is that his baby?´´ he asked bluntly. Diane was taking a sip from her mug as he asked and nearly choked on her tea. She immediately started coughing. Quickly the coughing turned into laughing. ``I told you so.´´ Will just said and folded his arms in front of his chest.

Diane nodded with a grin and then looked at David who frowned. ``No David. Neither did we have sex nor is that his baby.´´ she said and could practically see the weight that fell off of her partner’s shoulder. ``And before you ask, it was supposed to be nothing and the father is not interested in helping to raise it. And I wouldn’t be interested in him raising her either. If I need someone to play daddy, Will agreed to help.´´ she added and leaned back. David nodded and looked from Will to her, not sure what to do. At first, he just sat there but then he stood up. ``I better go. A client.´´ he said quickly. ``Congratulations again.´´

As the door closed, both name partners looked at each other and burst into laughter. ``I have- I have never seen him speechless. Good job.´´ Will said while trying to compose himself. Diane nodded and laid her hand on her belly. ``That probably was on his mind for a long time.´´ she said with a grin.

Will agreed and as he leaned forward, that shit-eating grin appeared on his face again. ``I told you he would be the one asking. And once again, I was correct.´´ he said which made Diane roll her eyes. ``That’s not how this works. We both knew he would be the first to ask so we were both correct.´´ she tried but Will wouldn’t have it. ``I’ve seen the surprise on your face. You hoped he wouldn’t and I knew from the moment he walked in, that he would ask that. So no walking away from that.´´ Diane rolled her eyes and folded her arms. ``But I did really hope he wouldn’t. I don’t know what I was thinking, hoping he wouldn’t.´´ she sighed and laughed a little.

For a few moments, there was silence before Will looked at her again. ``I didn’t know that you didn’t want contact with the father.´´ he said with a little hesitation in his voice. He was happy to be the godfather, he was happy to be the father figure if she needed him to be because those two were things she had told him she wanted. However, it was new to him, that she wanted to completely cut out the dad in this. Diane sighed. ``That’s what my Aunt had said too but I don’t want him anywhere near my daughter and he doesn’t want her anywhere near him as well.´´ she said and looked at her glasses which were laying on top of her closed MacBook.

Will was a little surprised. Diane never mentioned his name or anything personal about him, just that he was a liberal lawyer. This made him think, that maybe he was married that he quickly ignored that thought because he knew Diane would never do that. ``You never told me anything about him´´ he said and he was surprised that Diane sighed a little annoyed. ``I know Will and I don’t want to talk about him. He won’t be involved in our life anymore and if the child wants to meet him, then I will gladly contact him but if not then not. And anyway, it’s none of your business. I can raise her on my own just fine!´´ she snapped and stood up. Her partner looked at her a little shocked and raised his hands in defense. ``Sorry. Okay understood. I know you can raise her on your own. I just wondered.´´ he said and stood up as well. As he walked over to her his hands lowered slowly and smiled.

Diane sighed and brushed her hair out of her face. ``I am sorry for snapping at you. It’s just not a great topic to discuss.´´ she explained and bit her bottom lip. Will just nodded and pulled her into his arms. ``I alright. I knew this was a difficult topic.´´ he said as she hugged him back. ´´Will you ever tell me who the dad is?´´ he asked quietly after a few seconds, already ready to pull back but Diane just sighed. ``I will take this with me to my grave. No one knows, not even my aunt and I won’t make an exception for you.´´ She looked at him and pulled away.

Looking at Will now, she knew that she was lucky to have him as a friend and the godfather of her child. Diane didn’t need the father because if she needed help, she had Will who she knew would help her anytime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Feedback are always appreciated! ^^


	4. The gender reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diane finally has the appointment she has been dreading for a while. She will find out what the gender of her baby is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for being away for so long. I am not going to beat around the bush, I was not having the best time writing this chapter because it was in fact rather difficult but I finally managed to finish it. And in addition to that, I wrote 1631 words, which is not as long as others might write but it is quite a lot for me. XD
> 
> Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this chapter and after this one, I might starting jumping through the time a little. ;)

The first time Diane saw the embryo as its whole was 6 months into the pregnancy. She was nervous.

All those months she had been waiting to finally see her baby and now that she was able to, she was actually scared.

Diane had scheduled her appointment during her lunchtime so she was able to still get work done and not having to stay at home that day. She had been thinking about taking a maternal break but every time that thought popped up in her mind, she was worried that the roof would drop on her head and she realized that the firm still needed her, no matter what her condition was. And after all, Diane was just pregnant. Not dying, she could handle that.

Just after her lunch break started, she exited her office and knocked on Will’s door, before opening it. She waved at him and said: ``I’m off for the lunch break. I have my appointment in 20 minutes.´´ Will nodded and stood up, as he walked over to her, he could tell how nervous she was.

``You’re going to be just fine. It’s just to see if the baby is alright.́ ́ he said and rubbed her upper arms softly.

Diane smiled and nodded, pressing her purse against her side. ``I know Will. It’s just still so surreal and with seeing the baby today, it becomes real. I am just a little scared. That’s normal, right?" she asked, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat.

Will just looked at her for a few seconds and then smiles. ``My sister was nervous too. If you want, I can come with you.́ ́ he suggested.

Diane declined that offer with a smile as she spoke: ``It’s fine. You have to be in court today and you need to prepare everything.´´ She then took a deep breath before turning around and leaving his office so she could go to her appointment.

After she walked into the office of her gynecologist, she told the woman at the reception that she arrived and sat down in one of the chairs. The waiting area was rather empty, except for a young woman who was probably around the same months as she was and a couple where the woman was maybe 8 months pregnant.

In front of her was a TV which played the current news on CNN but Diane wasn't in the mood for news. Not now when she was supposed to relax.

She looked around and saw a few magazines laying around on a side table which she grabbed and started looking through.

It was one of those women magazines which talked about baking recipes, losing weight and the perks of being a mother. How fitting, she thought and sighed, leaning back into the chair.

After several minutes of just waiting, her foot started to bounce in an attempt to calm her nerves though it never worked. She was trying to focus on the magazine, try to zone out just to calm herself but with each passing minute, she got more and more nervous.

A couple was seated across from her and the woman had noticed Diane discomfort. "First time?" she asked with a smile.

Diane snapped out of her thoughts and looked at her before nodding. "Yes. I am not sure what to expect if I am being quite honest." she explained and smiled just a little.

The woman nodded, understanding Diane's trouble. "The first time is always very exciting. But believe me, as soon as you see the baby, everything that troubled you before will be unnecessary. The first time we saw our baby boy was wonderful." she explained and stroked over her belly softly. "What month are you? If I am allowed to ask."

Diane nodded and smiled. "6 months. I am seeing my baby for the first time today as well." she explained and pushed a blonde strand behind her ear. ``I am really excited.´´

The pregnant woman across from her nodded and smiled amused. "I totally understand that.´´ When the assistant called a couple’s name both looked up. The woman smiled at Diane as they stood up and spoke: ``I wish you all the best.´´

Diane couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her lips as she looked down to her belly. ``Let’s hope that nice woman is right and every trouble will be forgotten.´´ she said quietly to the baby and sighed, leaning back in the chair. 

It didn’t take long for the assistant to call her name so she could go to the second examination room and wait for her gynecologist. She entered quickly and sat on the lounger on the other side of the room, pulling her blouse out of her pencil skirt and opening it.

Diane sighed as fresh air hit her stomach. She hated how she was constantly feeling like she was going to melt and the actual warmth from outside also wasn’t helpful. But she was glad how cool it was in her own office and in the doctor’s office.

When the door opened, her gynecologist entered. ``Hello Diane, it’s nice to see you. I’m sorry you had to wait. There is a lot going on today.´´ she explained with a smile and sat on her chair.

Diane smiled and put the phone away which she had picked up several minutes earlier to write to Will that he probably needed to take her 2 o’clock appointment as well. ``Hello Mrs. White.´´ they shook hands quickly and she watched her doctor as she opened her file on the computer.

``First of all, how is everything going with you? Any complaints, problems or things you are worried about that might not be normal?´´ her doctor asked. Diane thought for a while.

Of course, there were headaches, back pains, and other normal complaints. Diane shook her head.``’No just headaches, my back hurting and sometimes my fingers tingle or my fingertips are numb.´´ she said. ``I googled that though and several websites said it was normal during pregnancy.´´

Doctor White nodded with a smile. ́ ́Yes that’s normal. It’s due to the swelling that the blood circulation can be compressed. If it bothers you too much I can prescribe you a hand splint. But I wouldn’t do it until it is completely necessary.´´ she explained calmly and wrote down everything Diane had mentioned. Then she turned to the blonde lawyer and said: "I would like to start the ultra scan now if that is alright." 

With that, Diane laid on the lounge and pulled her blouse upwards. While her doctor was preparing everything for the scan, they started talking about everything but also nothing.

While applying the gel, Doctor White asked with a smile: "Will you take a break from working to properly calm down or will you continue working until the birth?"

Diane chuckled lightly and watched her doctor's hand applying the cold gel. "I am not quite sure yet. I will probably take maternity leave for the last 1 ½ months." she said. It wasn't exactly what she wanted but she knew it would be better. And she was sure, even though Will wasn't quite used to the idea yet, he would pressure her into maternity leave anyway.

Her doctor nodded, approving of that idea and placed the ultrasound head on her stomach while looking at the screen. A smile spread across her lips and moved it around a little so Diane was able to look as well. "There you go, Diane. Your baby." she said and traced the form with her ring finger.

A small gasp escaped the blonde lawyer's lips and a big smile appeared on her lips. "That's it." she mumbled and stared at the screen. Only now, seeing the embryo growing inside her, knowing in 3 months she would be able to hold her baby, did she realize how very real all of this was. How important it was to her that she took care of herself and her baby.

Doctor White softly stroked over her upper arm as she spoke: "It's alright. It's quite a lot but as far as I can see, your baby is healthy. Don't worry." 

Diane nodded with a small smile. "That is good." She said before adding after a few seconds: "Can you already tell the gender?"

Dr. White moved the ultra scan head over her stomach for a few seconds before nodding. ``Yes I can. It’s actually laying in a perfect angle.´´ she explained. For a few seconds, she said absolutely nothing but then a big smile spread on her lips and she looked at Diane. ``Congratulations Diane. You are going to be the mother of a wonderful daughter.´´ she grinned as she grabbed a few paper towels and cleaned off the ultra scan head and then threw the towels away before giving Diane paper towels as well.

When Diane found out that she would have a daughter, her eyes lit up. ``R-Really? Oh that’s that’s wonderful!´´ she said and stared at the monitor before cleaning off her stomach. ``How sure can you be?´´ she asked after a few seconds, after sitting up and closing her blouse.

Her doctor turned off the ultra scanner and smirked at Diane’s question. ´´I am 95% sure. Of course, there is always the possibility that she still could turn out to be a boy and the angle was not perfect but I am pretty sure. And we can check again at a later date if you want.´´ she explained as she stood up and walked over to Diane’s record and wrote it down.

Diane nodded before smiling. A girl. She was going to have a baby girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter. Kudos and feedback are always welcomed. <3


	5. The Lunch Break isn't even over yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter takes place right after Diane's appointment. Her 2 pm client is earlier than expected and Will can't handle him alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! I am back with a new chapter! It takes place right where the last chapter ended. I hope you like this chapter. I really try to post as regularly as I can but I always dislike something about it so I usually end up deleting and re-writing the whole thing. But this it! xD  
> All typos and grammar mistakes belong to me. You can point them out but please do so kindly.

Since leaving the office to head back to her law firm, the smile wouldn’t disappear from her face. This was it. She really was going to be mother.

Maybe she should call him. Tell him about it and maybe he would change his mind?

`No.´ she thought and grabbed the wheel tightly. He didn’t want to be in their life. He made that very clear when she told him about the pregnancy and she wasn’t going to run after him.

That’s not who she was and just because her life was going to be turned upside down didn’t mean she would completely change who she was. Not for a man. And definitely for the father of her child.

Diane snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her phone ring. She searched for it in her purse and without looking she held it to her ear. ``Lockhart?``

``Finally. I thought you would never take that call. It’s Will. How was the appointment?´´ her best friend asked and Diane only laughed.

``The appointment went well. I am on my way back to the firm right now. If you can wait another 10 minutes I can tell you in person.´´ she explained and turned the speaker on, putting the phone in the other car seat so she could focus on the road again.

Will huffed into the phone and she could hear how he sat himself into one of his chairs. ``That’s not why I was calling Diane but just so you know. I can wait. And by the giddiness in your tone it’s probably good news.´´

He was right. She had good news but the fact that he had something more important than his own curiosity made her frown. ``Why else are you calling then? Is it about the meeting?´´ she asked, her eyes immediately finding the clock in her car. She had 20 minutes left before her break ended and the meeting started in 30 minutes. 

She heard Will sigh into the phone and muffled voices. ‘Oh-oh’ she thought and already prepared herself for the worst.

``Your next client is already here and kind of throwing a tantrum because you’re not here. If you could make it in less than 10 minutes that would be amazing. Kalinda is trying her best but-´´ he rambled but Diane stopped him before he lost himself in words.

``I’ll try my best, don’t worry and give him a scotch or something. That should calm him. And tell him if he doesn’t calm down and wait I won’t do anything for him.´´ Diane said and turned on the blinker for her to turn. ``And get me a tea or something I don’t know. Maybe a banana smoothie?́ ́ For a few seconds there was silence before she said: ``No Tea. I can already feel the baby protesting against a smoothie.´´

Will chuckled as he winked his secretary into his office. ``Will do that. The cup’s gonna be in your office next to the files.´´ he said as he scribbled down what he wanted and diane’s order before he handed that to his secretary who nodded with a smile and left the office again.

‘’Thank you Will. You’re ama- AH FUCK.´´ she cursed and slammed her right hand against the wheel.

Will stared at his phone before he asked: ``Everything alright, Diane?´´ His voice was careful. Whatever just happened just made Diane Lockhart curse. Loudly. That probably wasn't a very good thing. 'Oh God please don't have an accident' he thought. An accident was the last thing they both, but especially Diane, needed. 

``What..yeah. I am turning right now. There are no bloody sparking spots free so I have to park somewhere else. Add 5 minutes to the waiting time.´´ she said and leaned her head against the head rest for a split second.

``Okay. It doesn’t matter. We’ll get him calmed down and you will be there. By the way, it’s good that you could take that appointment. I wouldn’t want to be alone with that man.´´ Will said and rose to see if their next client had finally calmed down but that wasn’t the case yet so he motioned for Mary and told her to get the man something to drink.

On the other end he could hear Diane chuckle softly. ``I am too. God knows what he would have done if I wasn’t there.´´

Finally after several minutes of cursing and Will trying to calm her because ‘it wasn’t good for her baby and it shouldn’t learn that kind of language before even being born’ she found a spot and parked there. ``I found a spot. Thank God!´´ she sighed and grabbed her phone and purse, turned off the car and got out. Diane turned off the speaker and spoke into her phone: ``I’ll be there in 3 minutes. And I really hope he’ll be calm by then. I really don’t want a headache today.´´ Then she hung up.

As she entered the elevator, Will’s secretary entered it as well. ``Oh Ms. Lockhart! Welcome back. I think this one is for you.´´ she said and handed the cup of tea to the other woman.

Gladly, Diane took the cup and smiled brightly. ‘’Thank you, Laura.´´ she said and took a sip. Her muscles immediately started to relax and the warmth spread through her body. ``How is everything going up there? I hope they haven’t killed each other yet.´´ she smirked as Laura shook her head while chuckling. ``No Ms Lockhart but Mister Martin has been throwing a tantrum for a while.´´

As they arrived upstairs, Will was already casually leaning against the reception and stepped forward. ``The savior arrived!´´ he exclaimed and stepped to Diane who laughed at him and handed him her cup so she could get out of her jacket. ``He is red like a tomato and Kalinda already escaped. Let’s get you in there and afterwards you can tell me everything, alright?´

While they walked to her office she also pulled off her shoes and took her tea again. ``Alright but you need to calm down as well. It won’t help me when my partner is like a pack of ants. God my feet hurt.´´ she mumbled and stepped into her office, wiggling her fingers to Will who nodded and stepped in as well.

``Hello Mister Martin. I am so sorry that I had to keep you waiting but I had an important appointment that I had to go too. And we did agree on 2 pm.´´ she stated as she sat down and smiled at him.

He looked up and frowned. ``We did but you should know by now that I always arrive early.´´ he replied and looked at Will briefly who smiled kindly at the man.

Diane just sighed. ``I know but you were nearly 40 minutes early. That’s not what I am used to with you. Anyway, we are not here because of that. We wanted to talk about settling.´´ she took a sip of her tea and smiled friendly. He wasn’t exactly easy but lord knows he payed good so they kept up with it. 

Mr. Martin nodded. ``Yes. I don’t want to settle. I wanna go to court with it. I won’t accept to pay 25k for this kindergarten stuff.´´ he said as he leaned back with a satisfied smile.

Yet neither one of the partners were happy. This fiasco had been going on for a month. They wanted it to be over. ``Mr. Martin. You do know that if we go to court, we could run against a wall and you could end up paying more than you already have to, right?´´ she explained calmly and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She prayed that he understood.

He smiled bigger now. Oh good lord he doesn’t, she thought and clasped her cup, eyeing Will slightly who shrugged a little. ``If we go to court the judge will see that I won’t have to pay and we’ll be fine.´´ the client explained and let his eyes wander around the room.

'His ego really is that big, huh' Will thought and looked at Diane who took a slightly frustrated sip.

Diane had to stop herself from sighing again. ``I get it, Mr Martin. You don’t want to lose any of your hard earned money but sometimes you have to see and understand the mistakes and even help to right the wrong. Please don’t do anything you’ll regret later.´´ she explained slowly and smiled at him. ``You have to pay no matter what. 25k is the best we could do.´´

The client stood up, obviously done with this meeting. ``You’re my lawyer. Aren’t you supposed to do what I want?´´ he asked and grabbed his jacket as Diane rose as well.

``Of course I am. But I am also supposed to help you not do anything stupid.´´ she laughed a little. ``It’s my job to do both. I can try and talk to the other side and maybe we’ll get the price lower but anything that involves not paying is impossible.´´

As she stood, Mr Martins eyes sank to her a belly and his jaw fell a little. ``That’s new.´´ he stated, immediately changing the topic of discussion.

Diane sighed and leaned against her desk. ``Not really. You’re just seeing it now.´´ she replied and grabbed her cup and took a sip of it.

``Does that mean I’ll get a new lawyer? And that you will stop working? Because if that does mean that, I will find a new law firm.´´ he insisted and pulled on his jacket.

Diane just laughed. ``No. I will go into maternity leave and for that time being, Will will be your lawyer but I am coming back. Don’t you worry about that.´´ she spoke and noticed how relaxed her client got. Thank God.

``Good. Call me if you got anything new.`` he chimed and left his office after saying goodbye to both of the lawyers in the room.

Diane sank into her chair and crossed her fingers over her belly. ``That man really is a handful. God!´´ she mumbled and closed her eyes for a second. Then she looked at Will who had sat himself down and now looked at her expectantly.

``Tell me.´´ he said and leant forward a little with a sheepish grin.

Diane grabbed for her purse and pulled out her ultra scan picture, sliding it over to him. ``A healthy baby girl.´´ she beamed and started drawing little circles over her stomach. ``It’s 95% a girl. She is pretty sure though.``

Will looked from the picture to Diane and grinned as well. ``Honestly, I am so happy for you Diane.´´ he said as he put down the picture and leaned back. ``Do you have any name ideas yet?´´

She huffed a little. ``I am not going to name her Will. Or Wilhelmina for that matter.´´ she stated with a giggle and put the picture securely away again. Then she got serious again and added: ``I am not sure yet. My mother probably would have wanted something traditional. Like Elizabeth but I don’t know. Maybe Arabella?´´

Will neeed a second but then his eyes widened and he laughed. ``Like the first female lawyer in the US?´´

Diane only grinned and stroke her stomach. ‘Arabella Lockhart’ That didn’t sound too bad, she thought and drank her tea. She liked Arabella.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Feedback are as always appreciated! <3


	6. The Birth Of Arabella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It‘s the birth of Arabella.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to give you all a quick thank you for everyone who is still reading this story. I haven‘t been posting just because it was a busy few months and simply not having any motivation to write.
> 
> This is my Christmas present for you. x3

Diane went into labor on the 21st of September 2008. She was in court that day for an important case she had been working on for 2 months when her water broke.

Even though she had said that she would go into maternity leave, she didn’t. She did cut back on cases so she wouldn’t overwork herself but this one, she had to do. It was inevitable.

Will hadn’t agreed with her tactics, had tried to talk her out of the idea but failed. But he did check in on her quite a lot, was there for her when she needed help and was her second chair when she went to court.

That was the case on the day she went into labour.

Diane was in the middle of a heated argument, not even realizing that her water broke until the pain kicked in fairly quickly and she grabbed the table tightly.

Will stood up immediately and was by her side. ‘’Diane? Is everything alright?” he asked and helped her sit down carefully.

“Will, I think my water just broke.” she said between her teeth and grabbed his jacket tightly. Diane tried to take calm breaths but they turned quickly into quick laboured ones.

“Miss Lockhart, is everything alright? Should we get a doctor?” the judge asked and has stood up. She knew him, he was a friend of her father’s.

She nodded quickly, trying to breathe calmly. “She isn’t supposed to come for another 3 weeks, Will.” she panicked and grabbed the rest of a chair, staring at him with fear in her eyes.

“Ok. Greta, please call the ambulance. Miss Lockhart‘s Baby is coming.‘‘ the judge said and walked over to her. Greta, the stenographer, stood up and hurried into the judge’s chamber to call the Chicago Hospital.

“Oh great, does this mean that the case will be delayed?” The opposition asked and stared at the judge in disbelief.

The judge nodded. “Yes, Mr. Cameron. That is exactly what it means. Be grateful, you will have more time to find a strategy.” He said with a slight smirk.

“The ambulance is coming. They’ll be here in around 20 minutes.” Greta said as she came back and smiled a little.

Will had sat down next to Diane and stroked her back while she had grabbed his hand. “This is too early.” she kept on murmuring and tried to breathe calmly while digging her nails into Will’s skin.

This was not how Diane had imagined this court session to go. She was supposed to win this, go home, drink tea and read War and Peace, maybe even read a little bit out loud, so her daughter wouldn’t kick because Diane knew how calm the unborn baby got when she read to her. 

But her daughter already shown that she didn’t care much for her mother’s plans and had her own mind even when she wasn‘t even born yet.

When they arrived in the hospital, she was sure and ready to pass out. Of course, her midwife had told her that feeling was normal because it was exhausting but she didn’t imagine it being this bad. Diane was ready to just hold her baby in her arms.

———-

The birth took nearly 24 hours and for Diane, it felt like it took even longer. Her child really took her sweet sweet time to come out and at some point she started to worry that maybe there were complications. Maybe they had to perform a C-Section but when she finally heard the cry of a baby and a fragile infant was laid on her chest, wrapped in a white towel, she was happy. Happy that her baby was alright and that it was over.

While holding the infant she realized that all those women were right. Holding the baby after birth was worth the 9 months of changing and all the labour pain.

Will never left her side; even when she squeezed his hand so tightly that he believed it would fall off and the only words she could get out were swear words. 

He smiled at Diane. “You did amazing. I am so proud.” he said and finally she looked up at him and smiled tiredly. “Thank you for being here, Will.” she replied. and immediately looked at Arabella when she was put in her arms.

One of the nurses who had assisted the birth came in and smiled at Diane kindly. ‘‘Before we finally leave you alone to calm down and maybe sleep, we wanted to make sure the baby and you were alright.‘‘ she explained. ‘‘But as I can see you are doing quite alright. Does anything hurt? Do you need anything?‘‘

Diane just shook her head and smiled. ‘‘No I am just really exhausted and happy.‘‘ she said. The nurse nodded, wrote something down and excused herself.

Arabella cooed quietly and grabbed for her mother’s finger. She couldn’t stop the grin forming on her lips and pressed a small kiss on the infant’s head while her finger caressed her chubby cheek and then let her grab her finger. 

Will watched that scene for a while before saying: “You should sleep. You’ve been awake for far too long and if you want, I can keep an eye on her for you. Get to know my goddaughter, you know.” He had sat down in a chair next to the bed and drank his coffee.

Diane hesitated before nodding. “That...That sounds good. Always watch her, okay?” she asked while carefully handing the baby to Will who of course took the infant and watched his best friend and his goddaughter fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Feedback are always appreciated. <3

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like my fanfiction. If you do, let me know. Kudos and Feedback are always appreciated. <3


End file.
